WWE stars preach anti-bullying

Eve Sullivan

Updated 10:19 pm, Thursday, March 14, 2013

Brodus Clay of the WWE, far left, sits at a table and talks with student representatives from Rachel's Challenge before speaking at Westover Elementary School to deliver an anti-bullying message on Thursday, March 14, 2013.

Brodus Clay, left, and "Diva" Kaitlyn, right, pose for a photo with Elizabeth Santoro, 11, after the stars spoke at an anti-bullying event at Westover Elementary School on Thursday, March 14, 2013.
Photo: Lindsay Perry

Brodus Clay, left, and "Diva" Kaitlyn, right, sign autographs for young fans after speaking during an anti-bullying event at Westover Elementary School on Thursday, March 14, 2013.
Photo: Lindsay Perry

Bob Goldman of the Rotary Club of Stamford introduces representatives from anti-bullying organizations as well as stars from WWE as they deliver their message at Westover Elementary School on Thursday, March 14, 2013.
Photo: Lindsay Perry

He said his unique appearance also got him attention as a child, because he was biracial, had huge feet, crazy hair, yellowish skin and colored eyes.

"So I was a crazy looking dude," he said.

Clay was part of the "Be a Star" rally held at the Stillwater Avenue school to deliver an anti-bullying message to children. The program, sponsored by the WWE and the Creative Coalition, provides students, teachers and parents with the various tools and resources to help put an end to bullying.

Clay said he was bullied in school, so he had to stand up for himself and turn things around. He said children can't just "punch kids in the face anymore," they have to deal with things differently.

The performer urged students to start a "Be a Star" chapter in their school, adding that there is tons of information about bullying these days. Ignoring bullying is putting gas on the fire.

"It should be cool to tell on the person who's doing the bullying," he said.

Then Clay read an anti-bullying pledge to the children and made them repeat the words back to him.

Jordyn MacDonald, 11, who was sitting in the front row with his friends waiting for the show to start, almost fell off his chair when he heard Clay was going to be there. He said he's a huge WWE fan and knows all of the characters.

"I like that there's action," Jordyn said. "It's entertainment. The people are really cool and funny and it gives me something to watch on TV."

Another WWE entertainer, Diva Kaitlyn, told students there's a difference between entertainment and reality and that she's a real person. She then talked about how her brother was bullied as a child because of his height and she never did anything.

"It affected him so deeply and I never knew," she said. "I should have told someone."

Robin Bronk, CEO of the Creative Coalition, said the organization was started 25 years ago by actor Alec Baldwin so the entertainment community could get involved with social problems. From that, the coalition started "Be a Star" to combat bullying.

Bronk urged the children to start a "Be a Star" chapter in their school, saying that every few minutes someone gets bullied.

Michael Dreiblatt, president of Stand Up to Bullying, said that in a bullying situation one person always has more power and someone has less. And then the crowd controls the dynamic, by egging things on or walking away.

"The good news is most kids are not bullies, most kids are bystanders," he said.

Dreiblatt recalled getting teased as a child and having a group come over and separate him from the group. "Sometimes we need that," he said.

Though he was hesitant to tell the children to get involved, he advised them to report bullying to a trusted adult. He said that doesn't make them a snitch, because a snitch is trying to get someone in trouble, not out of trouble.

Dr. Larry Rosenberg, clinical director at the Child Guidance Center, said boys are more physical in their bullying, while girls are more verbal. He said bullying is always done to gain power and the favor of other children.

"They don't think they can gain the favor of other kids by being nice," he said. "They have to do it another way."

Kimberly Lisack, a clinical director at Kids in Crisis, agreed that boys are more physical than girls. But she said girls take part in emotional bullying and "social exclusion," such as inviting friends to a party and leaving one girl out.

Lisack urged adults to react to emotional bullying just as aggressively as physical bullying. "If you don't talk about it, it's like saying it doesn't exist," she added.

Michelle Wilson, the WWE's chief marketing officer, said many children look at WWE entertainers as role models. So the WWE wanted to get involved in a program to benefit them.

"It's been a huge success," she said. "We've done hundreds of rallies."

Before the show, Josh Mathews, a WWE announcer who emceed the event, said he hosts all of the "Be a Star" rallies, which is his favorite part of the job. He said the children enjoy seeing the "Superstars" as real people and not just the characters they portray on television.

Clay said whenever he has the opportunity to take part in such events, he "jumps at it." He said there's a waiting list to participate at the WWE.

"You don't necessarily have to be bullied to be a part of it," he said.